The behaviour here is not a bug. The rule that braces fully delimit the interpolatable expression is a deliberate one, of long standing, and deliberately different from the syntax of array/hash element references outside quotes. The treatment of "${^CAPTURE}[0]" is consistent with that of "${foo}[0]", and for that matter with "${^MATCH}[0]" which can quite easily be used deliberately. Hat-based variable names have no less need for this delimitation than other variable names. If this rule were to be changed, it would require a deprecation cycle. But we should not change it, and this ticket should be closed. -zeframThread Next